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That's a lot easier said than done. I can't carry the dog with me all day, so what's the solution when I'm at work?
You may just have saved me by my truly wanting you to succeed! What do you do all day when at work? DOGGIE DAY/CARE! It's a win:win for you and the dog! I think I may just have to open one here at my home...ASAP. Now, don't start telling me how expensive it is, 'cuz IF you want to own a dog it's part of the expense if you don't want to do the work.
I woke up this morning thinking about you and your dog dilemma (ashamed to admit that).
RE:Stinking:
Most of the dogs I've encountered absolutely stink, even after a bath. The smell makes me feel like not petting or handling them without being somewhere I can wash up. I've encountered this more with little dogs than big dogs. Maybe the outside gives them a chance to air out?
This is just a fact of life with dogs. If it disgusts you, then you are never going to want to have a dog. PLUS they love to get on the sofa, in bed, etc with you and their 'toddler brains' don't tell them that they are 'stinky' or that the bed/furniture is off limits. Even if you can keep them off of such while at home, the minute you leave they hop right up there and get 'comfy-cozy' all day while you are working. You cannot beat it out of them, so do not think that is gonna deter them. Getting into mischief is what dogs do best.
Go on YouTube and look at all the bazillions of videos that peeps have made from a home monitor system to see what BORED animals do while humans are not home.
At least you are awake and aware of your misbehaviors and want to do better, but I truly think you should pursue a totally different want in your life. I do not see your volunteering at a Shelter helping as you will see a TON of all that people have talked about here and the end results. Finally, that one dog you 'bond' with may just have its number up and be euthanized.
Also, not to side-swipe this thread, KIDS are not obedient for 99% of the time, so expecting that is just so far out there maybe you will reconsider having them. I'm going to stop here, so I don't get smacked by any Mods. I hope you find something else to occupy your time.
Last edited by mooksmom; 05-02-2015 at 10:01 AM..
Reason: paragraph moving
I said that mean comments would be ignored. I really don't think you can make an argument like the other poster and convince me you aren't being mean.
For the record, though, kids seem to like me but a bit too much. I work as a substitute teacher to supplement my income, and they have this way of constantly wanting to play and not taking me seriously most of the time until I lay down the law. I appear super laid-back and act like nothing bothers me, but I assure you it's just an act. When I say, "no," I mean it. I've surprised kids with stern discipline (detention, calls home, immediately calling the teacher rather than waiting) that they thought I wouldn't give them because I looked so "nice."
I'm guessing my frustration is magnified through writing, partially because here, unlike real life, I can vent. I feel like I'm coming off as someone I'm not.
You cannot expect to use C/D as your 'whipping post' then not expect people to say what they feel! Nice that you are seemingly honest, and I certainly detect VERY young, but so far you have truly pushed the envelope as to being 'ticked' when people try to tell you that you, AT THIS TIME, are not a good candidate to be a dog owner and ESP not a Father to anyone. It worries me some that people are putting their kids in your 'substitute teacher' hands. I had a piano teacher just like you when I was about 8 yrs old. She had a big, hairy mole on her chin and a 12" wooden ruler in her hands at all times...and THAT is how she taught piano! THAT is what I remember about piano and to this day I do not care about ever learning how to play a piano! IF any of those kids parents saw your dog posts here, how many of them do you think would allow you to see their kids one more session? ZERO!
This makes me wonder how you were raised, but I believe I already know...'tiger parenting'. I MUST be done here. I'm too concerned about too many things and cannot continue without being MIStaken as 'mean'.
Then, you might just be a bored kid, making all of this up and pulling at 'good' people's heart-strings. It happens here on C/D.
Last edited by mooksmom; 05-02-2015 at 10:30 AM..
Reason: one last thought
Again, I doubt there's a way I can change the tone of this thread, so I'm requesting a moderator to look at, delete it, and possibly penalize me for trolling. I wasn't trying to, but frustration does bring out the worst in people. Again, there are no dogs in my custody. Any that I've owned recently have all been adopted out to much more loving homes.
OP - you already know that dogs and you are not a good fit....so why are you trying to figure out how it might work? You don't even particularly like them or have the patience needed to train one. The fact that you believe the dogs misbehave because they hate you is telling. You need to understand that it's one thing to appreciate something, it's quite another to be an active participant. I can appreciate horses - I even like them - but I understand I do not have the lifestyle required to own one. It does not make me a bad person any more than not having the attributes or lifestyle for dog ownership makes you a bad person or a failure. Just not a good fit. Accept it and stick to cats - which you are clearly more comfortable with. There is nothing wrong with that.
You cannot expect to use C/D as your 'whipping post' then not expect people to say what they feel! Nice that you are seemingly honest, and I certainly detect VERY young, but so far you have truly pushed the envelope as to being 'ticked' when people try to tell you that you, AT THIS TIME, are not a good candidate to be a dog owner and ESP not a Father to anyone. It worries me some that people are putting their kids in your 'substitute teacher' hands. I had a piano teacher just like you when I was about 8 yrs old. She had a big, hairy mole on her chin and a 12" wooden ruler in her hands at all times...and THAT is how she taught piano! THAT is what I remember about piano and to this day I do not care about ever learning how to play a piano! IF any of those kids parents saw your dog posts here, how many of them do you think would allow you to see their kids one more session? ZERO!
This makes me wonder how you were raised, but I believe I already know...'tiger parenting'. I MUST be done here. I'm too concerned about too many things and cannot continue without being MIStaken as 'mean'.
Then, you might just be a bored kid, making all of this up and pulling at 'good' people's heart-strings. It happens here on C/D.
I think you are right, but one thing I need to learn to do is not make emotionally charged posts on the Internet. I'm usually pretty good about this, but sometimes the temptation hits me to just ask questions that I would normally never ask in real life. I'm a super shy person, and I'm lacking in the social skills department. I guess I kind of resent people (and animals?) that are good at it.
I have been substitute teaching for a few years and trying to convince myself that I'm a competent capable adult, but I think my failures speak for me more loudly than any accomplishment. There's quite a disconnect between who I think I should be and who I am. This is obviously not the forum for this, though. I guess I'll go and collect myself and maybe come back when I've decided to act like a rational adult and not sulk like a frustrated kid.
This is totally off topic, but I own cats also, and that is so far from the truth. They are less work than dogs, true, but nowhere near to the extent you're implying, and they absolutely care who is caring for them. They get cared for just the same when I go away, but when I get back, I hear one was yelling at the door as I left with suitcases, and all of them slept more and kept themselves scarce. I'd love to go on, but enough of the thread drift. I just couldn't let something pass that's so untrue (and falsely believed by a lot of dog-only people).
UNTRUE?
I have nothing against cats.
I stand by my original comment.
You can leave a cat alone for two weeks if it has ample food,water,and litter space.
You can leave a fish tank alone for a month or more.
Your cat yelled at the door when you left.
How about when you returned?
Slept more?
Like what 14 hrs -vs- their normal 12?
Upon your return, did they charge the door and you as soon as they heard the car pull in?
If you leave the house for 10 minutes then return a dog will greet you as if you were gone for 10 days.
Cats - might do that if you are shaking a box of Friskies & they are hungry.
In general cats are indifferent to people.
That rub up against your leg may or may not a token of devotion.
All pets love their master more than others.
But there are a million good reasons why a dog is man's BEST friend.
You can leave a cat alone for two weeks if it has ample food,water,and litter space.
You can leave a fish tank alone for a month or more.
Your cat yelled at the door when you left.
How about when you returned?
Slept more?
Like what 14 hrs -vs- their normal 12?
Upon your return, did they charge the door and you as soon as they heard the car pull in?
If you leave the house for 10 minutes then return a dog will greet you as if you were gone for 10 days.
Cats - might do that if you are shaking a box of Friskies & they are hungry.
In general cats are indifferent to people.
That rub up against your leg may or may not a token of devotion.
All pets love their master more than others.
But there are a million good reasons why a dog is man's BEST friend.
I get it, you prefer dogs. But you don't know cats apparently, except for other peoples' cats. My cats DO greet me happily when I come home. They are NOT indifferent to people at all, unless they're owned by someone who ignores them. Then they will become non-interactive, but they will also likely develop behavioral issues. One of my cats does like to meet new people, but most don't. Thus a lot of people who don't live with one don't really understand them. I can't tell you how many people (particularly men) I know or have met who used to either dislike or be indifferent to cats-until they lived with one. I'm unlikely to change your mind, I know. But to state that only a dog is man's best friend is an opinion, not a fact. Personally, I used to have only dogs and would have agreed with you then (although I'd have realized it was just my opinion). 11 years ago a cat came into our home, now we have 3 cats, 2 dogs, and neither my husband nor I would ever want to be without either species.
Last edited by subject2change; 05-02-2015 at 12:21 PM..
I get it, you prefer dogs. But you don't know cats apparently, except for other peoples cats. My cats DO greet me happily when I come home. They are NOT indifferent to people at all, unless they're owned by someone who ignores them. Then they will become non-interactive, but they will also likely develop behavioral issues. One of my cats does like to meet new people, but most don't. Thus a lot of people who don't live with one don't really understand them. I can't tell you how many people (particularly men) I know or have met who used to either dislike or be indifferent to cats-until they lived with one. I'm unlikely to change your mind, I know. But to state that only a dog is man's best friend is an opinion, not a fact. Personally, I used to have only dogs and would have agreed with you then (although I'd have realized it was just my opinion). 11 years ago a cat came into our home, now we have 3 cats, 2 dogs, and neither my husband nor I would ever want to be without either species.
I'm tired of cats or dogs arguments. It really seems like some of us are made for one, and some of us are made for the other. Everything the other poster said about cats, I could say about dogs, except the "easy to care for" part. I could tell you, oh uninformed dog lover, why cats make such awesome pets, but I don't think you would be interested in listening, and you have to listen to own a cat. They are very sensitive creatures.
If you want to debate this further, though, there's a Cats or Dogs thread in Great Debates. I would love to talk about it at length over there. I've seen that taking some of my angst out in the Pets forum has caused trouble.
Don't even ask me what my dogs said about you dissing their cats. Now let's stop this stupid argument. Why does one have to be better than the other?
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You may just have saved me by my truly wanting you to succeed! What do you do all day when at work? DOGGIE DAY/CARE! It's a win:win for you and the dog! I think I may just have to open one here at my home...ASAP. Now, don't start telling me how expensive it is, 'cuz IF you want to own a dog it's part of the expense if you don't want to do the work.
When I say, "no," I mean it. I've surprised kids with stern discipline (detention, calls home, immediately calling the teacher rather than waiting) that they thought I wouldn't give them because I looked so "nice."
IF any of those kids parents saw your dog posts here, how many of them do you think would allow you to see their kids one more session? ZERO! 
I'm tired of cats or dogs arguments. It really seems like some of us are made for one, and some of us are made for the other. Everything the other poster said about cats, I could say about dogs, except the "easy to care for" part. 
I could tell you, oh uninformed dog lover, why cats make such awesome pets, but I don't think you would be interested in listening, and you have to listen to own a cat. They are very sensitive creatures. 